Yes, We Are Also Google Users:
AdWords Advertisers are also users, although our main activity is on the backend, in the AdWords interface. Their product is not merely search, it is also the ‘sponsored links,’ for which we finance. If Google does not provide predictability and certainty in their AdWords policies, we, the advertisers, get upset. Thereby rendering our experience, as a Google user, very poor and unacceptable. At the present moment, Google is the clear winner in terms of reach and traffic. However, the tide can easily change with Microsoft Vista on the horizon with a built in Microsoft toolbar—and if they loose a couple of high profile deals with AOL.com and ASK.com.
Similar Updates in the Past:
In similar updates in the past, my personal websites have remained unaffected. I am a good advertiser, do not promote MFA sites and provide quality services and products on my site. I thought I would always remain free from any updates affecting the ‘low quality’ websites. I was wrong. If you get caught in their computer’s path, you will be separated and left out. Who knows what their next update will bring, how it will evaluate, or who they will target.
Unpredictability and Uncertainty:
With this recent algorithm update, Google has clearly shown it does not consider the AdWords user experience. They did not give ample warning of this change, or how to preemptively adjust landing pages aside from a vaguely worded statement on quality. We have all heard the customer support horror stories. Those who contacted support got the same optimization tips found on their website—surprisingly enough—we follow all of them. Those affected feel left out in the dark. In essence: Google to Advertisers: Prepare for Unpredictability and Uncertainty.
While I will continue to attack this new update and advertise with Google, I will also prepare myself for another ‘update.’ Setbacks can only bring successes and more opportunities. I wish you all the best of luck navigating the new system.
[edited by: RockSolidWes at 3:01 pm (utc) on July 17, 2006]
When I checked with the Google rep about what changes needed to be made, I got a vague response about too many links. The only links off each page are the affiliate links (each page would have 1-5 products compared to each other) and the AdSense links. What was it they wanted me to remove? Do they not want me to use AdSense if I'm driving traffic to my site via AdWords? Or do they want me to drop the affiliate links to generate more AdSense traffic?
What I chose to do for products that had most of the profitable keywords shut down was advertise direct to the e-commerce site. With my knowledge of these products and what would sell them, I was able to outbid other affiliates for these select products and still turn a profit. I'm paying slightly more per click, and interestingly enough, I'm converting poorer going directly to the e-commerce site than sending traffic to my site first.
I still had about 20% of my profitable keywords running to my site until last week when AdWords nuked them. Now it's about 2%. MSN AdCenter is picking up some of the slack since April.
So what do I do now? I'm not sure. I don't think there's anything I can do to my site to be in AdWords good graces again. I suspect AdWords wants their advertising to go directly to big name e-commerce sites and wants affiliates out of the picture. They'll never come out and say that, but any affiliate who wastes time and energy trying to redesign their site to placate Google may be pissing into the wind.
One option is to get back into the content network. I've had poor ROI in the past there, but that was when search and content had the same prices. If I tread back into the content network, it will be at probably 20% of the bid prices I've used in search. This is where the unpredictability and uncertainty kick in. Not only do I have to assume some level of click fraud higher than the search network, I expect that within a year or so, Google will change the rules in midstream and I've wasted my time. I can't trust Google. I can't get a straight answer about how to raise my quality score, and if that's even possible.
I'm in no rush though. In the next month or so, I'll start getting ready for the holiday shopping season and will have to decide whether AdWords is part of that plan or not, or to consider other avenues to spend my money.
Google is a for-profit business and so am I. While I think their AdWords changes have been handled in a sleazy manner, I can understand they believe it's what best for them in the long run. I find them to be an unreliable and untrustworthy company with poor support and terrible regard for their own customers. At the same time, if I can find a way to use their services to make money, I'll do so. The same with Microsoft, who isn't much better. It's sad that Google has lowered themselves to Microsoft's level.
Other networks: MSN has the best conversions, Yahoo! has great conversions. MIVA is good for some industries, you'll have to test to find out if MIVA is for you.
It may take a few hours to learn a new interface of other PPC programs, but that is normal.
